


That Time Sokka Helped Zuko Get a Dragon

by Rawren (Deshonanana)



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Friendship/Love, Healthy Relationships, M/M, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-25
Updated: 2020-06-25
Packaged: 2021-03-04 03:48:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,687
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24907105
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Deshonanana/pseuds/Rawren
Summary: Zuko takes advantage of Katara and Aang’s honeymoon to drag Sokka along on a possible soul searching, dragon finding quest... or something. Just two guys being dudes, you know how it goes.
Relationships: Sokka/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 5
Kudos: 132





	That Time Sokka Helped Zuko Get a Dragon

**Author's Note:**

> I had surgery to get my gallbladder removed last week and since I was stuck in bed for 6 days, I binge watched A:TLA (while introducing it to my husband)and well here we are.
> 
> I’m tumblr prompt mashing Zuko getting his dragon( hurricanezukka), and Sokka getting hurt and being taken care of by Zuko (queenie-rat)

“You’re going to what?” Sokka repeated dumbly, his eyebrows doing a small dance before they inched closer and closer together as Zuko’s words began to process. Even after four years had passed and Sokka’s body had grown taller and filled out to resemble the stockier build of his father, he still carried such a vibrant energy to his facial expressions that there was no way Zuko would ever fail to recognize his friend. He kept his traditional undercut, but where his jaw used to be smooth and soft, Zuko could see the faint scratch of stubble decorating Sokka’s jawline, catching the light when he pursed his lips thoughtfully at Zuko—who he was still waiting on a response from. 

“Find a dragon,” Zuko repeated, “a companion.”

“.... like Appa?” Sokka ventured, crossing his arms and leaning his weight back onto one foot, as if mentally trying to picture Zuko riding on a dragon. Zuko felt himself stiffen just the slightest bit, taken aback by the scrutiny. He did not have the same broad frame as Sokka, his muscles tight against his bones and his hands long where Sokka’s were wide. Sokka, on appearance alone, stuck out like a sore thumb against the bold red and yellow drapery that littered the throne room. His clothes, though designed to withstand the warm climates of the fire nation, were embossed with pristine white embellishments across the sateen blue material — thinner than what he would wear back home but still sporting his nationality’s colors with pride.

He often made trips to and through the fire nation, and now that he wasn’t in hiding or on the run, Sokka was unashamed in who he was or where he hailed from. 

“Yes, exactly!” Zuko gesticulated vaguely for a moment before he quickly contained himself, instead tucking his hands into the long, unnecessarily billowy arms of his fire lord robes and clearing his throat to murmur, “at least, something like that, I mean.” it was a lot easier to merely agree with Sokka’s simplification than try to condense hundreds of years of family and fire nation history into anything Sokka might be able to string together. 

With a thoughtful hum, Sokka brought one hand up to his chin and looked skywards. The sunlight streaked in through the tall pillars that marked the outer walls of the throne room. Sokka’s face became a collection of tawny highlights and shadows, emphasizing the way his lips pursed and his brows furrowed. After musing for a few more seconds, Sokka shot Zuko with a suspicious look and started to lean in close. “Why me?” 

Zuko did not lean back when Sokka bent into his personal space, entirely used to Sokka trying to use his lack of boundaries as an intimidation tactic. “Aang and Katara are still on their honeymoon,” he reminded Sokka—as if no elaboration was needed. Their noses were nearly brushing, and there was a slight thrill that went up Zuko’s spine when he caught the shift in Sokka’s expression when the firebender didn’t shy away. His eyes got darker for a moment, taking in a deep breath as he tilted his head. Zuko’s voice took on a dry tone as he added, “Toph isn’t exactly the one I would call to fly an airship in search of a dragon.”

A pleased look shot across Sokka’s face for a moment before he shuttered his expression back into his suspiciously stern glare. He leaned away, shutting his eyes and shrugging. “I suppose I can put my important council duties on hold for you,” he said, voice breezy and nonchalant. The council that Sokka spoke of was more like a smattering of people they had met along their journey and less of an official figurehead, at the moment. Aang had hopes of establishing a means for all the nations to communicate in harmony, but the wounds of war were still too fresh for anyone to establish any sort of new politics. 

Zuko reached out to clap a hand onto Sokka’s shoulder. “Thanks, buddy,” he said with only the slightest bit of exaggerated cheer. He took a moment to observe the shadow of a beard starting to show through as dark specks along the warm brown expanse of Sokka’s skin. Most of the stubble was focused around his chin, with some traveling up his jaw and stopping just at the junction where it made a sharp angle against his throat. Zuko’s focus suddenly jumped from Sokka’s unnecessarily rugged jawline to his shoulder under Zuko’s hand, the firm muscle having flexed against the pads of Zuko’s fingers when Sokka huffed a half-laugh. Heat shot up his arm, leaving a cold, prickly feeling immediately after and a twisted, breathless feeling pulling at Zuko’s gut. Unable and unwilling to identify the sudden uptic in his heart, Zuko’s hand fell to his side as Sokka stepped away. Turning from where had been standing by the throne, Sokka made a beeline to his satchel that had been discarded by the entrance. He dug around in it for a moment while Zuko gestured to some servants, beckoning them over and using it as a moment to shake the tingling feeling from his hand. 

“Okay so tell me what you know,” Sokka started, bits and bobs clattering to the ground and he finally scrounged up a fat journal with what looked like a few notes and papers stuck in the first handful of pages. Zuko knew that Sokka was going to want to try and document as much as he could of their excursion. Even if it wasn’t something exciting like finding a dragon, Sokka was very much obsessed with knowing that he had written proof on hand at any moment. Zuko was sure that a large portion of Sokka’s scribing habits had to do with his diplomatic work, if not from years of traveling with the avatar and constantly finding himself in need of ink and paper. 

Zuko took a moment while Sokka was still digging in his bag to request to the two young girls attending the throne room that they assemble a travel pack of food from the kitchens. They bowed their heads deeply, and he leaned in close to quietly add on to also let his personal attendant know to retrieve Zuko’s pre-packed belongings from his bed chambers.

He hadn’t wanted to come off as presumptuous by obviously having everything ready before Sokka’s arrival, but Zuko had a feeling without his sister or best friend to annoy, that Sokka had a pretty open schedule. One of the reasons Zuko had planned his own trip was the confidence that Sokka would be more than eager to help. Zuko had been seated next to Sokka during the wedding, and it hadn’t taken a lot of observational skills to realize Sokka had spent half of it moping. Clearly, he wasn’t pleased about the fact that he was going to be bored for the three months Aang and Katara planned on spending traveling the world to enjoy it without danger looming overhead. 

When Sokka was back at his side, notebook opened to a blank page, Zuko couldn’t help the pleased thrill that went through him knowing that he had the man’s undivided attention for however many days it would take them to secure a dragon.

“I know there are still dragons,” Zuko began, “I just don’t know how many there are, and if they can still procreate.” 

Fumbling with an ink jar in one hand, Sokka paused to give Zuko a perturbed look, “are you talking about… dragon...uhh—” 

“—yes—that isn’t the point, though!” Zuko snapped, feeling himself grow warm. “What I meant to say was, I don’t know if there is just old dragons or if there is like… baby dragons.” 

The concept came to his mind so much easier than the words came from his mouth, and Zuko could feel himself faltering just the slightest bit. He hadn’t realized how poorly thought out his plans sounded until he started to iron out the details with Sokka. 

For all that he enjoyed getting a rise out of Zuko, Sokka seemed to take pity on his friend. He made a thoughtful sound, pulling out a folded paper from the notebook and handing it to Zuko. “So I guess the first place to start is to find the old dragons?” Sokka asked, one hand holding his journal with the other trying to dip his brush into the inkwell he had balanced in the crook of his elbow. Before he started to write, Sokka paused and looked up thoughtfully, “how do we know the dragons you saw were old? How old is old for dragons?”

Zuko thought about Sokka’s question for a moment, and he didn’t have much of an answer. The dragons had fur and whiskers that looked like mustaches, but did baby dragons have mustache whiskers or was it an old dragon thing like it was with old men? Was this something he should bring up to Sokka? Zuko debated the importance of dragons and mustaches for a moment longer, and instead made a ‘i’unno’ type of humming sound and shrugged.

He opened the folded paper to reveal a worn and well used map. He scanned his eyes over it in search of the Cave of the Masters, pointing to it a little too eagerly as he brandished the map to Sokka. “Here. This is where Aang and I went. If there is more dragons... this is probably the best place to start.” 

Peering at the map, Sokka scribbled (or drew?) something into his journal for a moment, and then grinned. He paused, glanced around the floor quickly, and then took a seat. Zuko faltered for a moment, but Sokka was very much focused on whatever he was writing— or drawing. Sokka fanned the page with his hand, blowing on it to quicken the ink’s drying process. Zuko caught a glimpse of some writing and what could have been a crudely drawn dragon. On the next page, Sokka dipped his brush in the ink again and then began to write. 

“Okay, spooky fire nation cave is as good a start as any! So, step one: acquire an air ship—“

“We have an air ship,” Zuko pointed out. Sokka made a face, and scribbled some more. 

“Step one, check. Step two, supplie—“

“I’ve already got the supplies ready to be loaded,” Zuko added helpfully. Sokka didn’t seem to think it was as helpful, but the annoyed look only sent a little thrill through Zuko. There was some part of him that got a sick pleasure out of antagonizing Sokka— the way his back stiffened and he got all bristly, but never angry… Zuko might be addicted to the knowledge he was one of only a few on Sokka’s small list of people he willingly let annoy him. 

Instead of continuing, Sokka shifted his weight, giving Zuko a long look. Clearly, he was waiting for Zuko to continue, and Zuko had to cough into his fist to hide the small smile fighting to break out. “Step one would be, boarding the airship?”

Whatever answer Sokka had been looking for, he must not have expected Zuko to have been so prepared that the only thing left to do was leave. He narrowed his eyes at Zuko, looking him up and down once, and then a second time with more flair. Zuko suddenly felt exposed, and had to look down at himself in confusion. It was possible that Sokka was not impressed with Zuko’s firelord robes as travel attire. Zuko usually just threw it on on top of whatever he had already been wearing, since it was mostly a formality. That morning he’d dressed with the intention of setting out the moment Sokka agreed— a simple tunic and vest tucked into pants that laced tightly at the calf. Zuko set about untying his sash, hesitating when a strangled noise came from Sokka. Zuko glanced up to see Sokka watching him with a surprisingly blank face, back rigid up until Zuko dropped the robes from his shoulders and handed it to the servant that had approached the moment he began to disrobe. 

Sitting back just the slightest bit after witnessing Zuko’s abrupt wardrobe change, Sokka let out a laugh, shook his head firmly, and began to put away his journal and ink, spilling a drip along the side of the bottle. They both watched the long splotch of ink make the fall, hitting the carpet of the throne room quietly and immediately being absorbed into the thick, red plushness. 

Both Sokka and Zuko looked up at the same time, and Zuko turned to make his way towards the exit. Sokka scrambled to get his things together, following behind Zuko with a surprisingly quick pace. “So let me get this straight,” Sokka blurted, “you’re telling me that you got everything ready before I even agreed to go?”

“Well, I was going to go either way. I just thought you’d like to join me,” Zuko pointed out. The walk to where the only airship still in service was waiting was one that was filled with Sokka’s commentary bemoaning the lack of respect that he, the plan guy, often was dealt by his peers. (“Making plans for the plan guy to join without telling the plan guy you planned for him? The disrespect is palpable, Zuko, palpable.”) Zuko let him continue to complain, right up until he opened the door to the main cabin of the air ship and Sokka’s complaints left him like a deflated balloon. Most of Sokka’s belongings that he’d brought for his visit were already loaded up, set neatly around the empty table where he and Zuko would be able to map out their search. 

Sokka had arrived to the palace as an afterthought, visiting while claiming he planned to stay a few nights at a nearby inn, bringing with him a small trunk of diplomatic paperwork and trinkets that he had been collecting during his trip. Zuko was intended to be only one of the many stops he planned on making through the fire nation, claiming that he was utilizing the Avatar’s vacation time by making rounds through both the earth and fire nation. Zuko hadn’t been particularly fond of just being a side thought for Sokka’s visit. He may or may not have made sure that the servants knew in advance that Sokka’s belongings had their own space on the ship. It may have seemed like a silly gesture, but Zuko had spent enough years on the fence about his own sense of belonging that he didn’t want the same feeling to haunt Sokka. Even though everyone else seemed to find their own purpose after the war, Sokka was constantly in search of his own place in the grand scheme of things. He rarely spent much time in one nation, and it could take weeks at a time to get a response, Sokka’s constant travels leaving even Zuko’s best hawks exhausted and irritable by the time they would return with giant parcels full of Sokka’s stories and drawings. Zuko merely wanted to show Sokka that he very much belonged and did not, in fact, need to rent a room at an inn next time he wanted to visit. 

Zuko, who had continued to hold Sokka’s map throughout their walk, set it on the table. He pointed once again to the Cave of the Masters. “I have heard from some reliable sources that only one of the dragons has been seen in the area. With the other one out of sight, I think it may be nesting. If that is the case, well…”

“Wait wait wait, what is this? Are we dragon-baby-napping? Kidnapping? Dragon-napping?” Sokka blurted, a myriad of expressions dancing across his face. Zuko shook his head quickly, hoping to dispel any of Sokka’s concerns about Zuko’s character. 

“I don’t want to steal a dragon,” he clarified, “I want a companion. If that dragon hatches and I can befriend it somehow, I think that is what my ancestors would have wanted.” Zuko didn’t know how exactly to explain to Sokka that he kept having dreams about riding a dragon, and that something deep inside him knew that he needed to do this. He needed to regain the honor of his ancestors and fix something Sozin had broken so many years ago. 

“Ohhhh, so like stalking but totally okay?”

“Why do you make everything sound like a bad idea?” 

“Hey!” Sokka threw his hands out, “I’m just repeating what you’re telling me!”

Zuko’s hands were rubbing at the bridge of his nose before he realized what he was doing. He only got two circular motions in before it hit him, and he snapped his head up to level Sokka with an acidic glare and— yep. Sokka was grinning from ear to ear. Zuko sucked in a deep breath, letting it out as a sharp exhale that may have been on the brink of steaming.

“Look. We need to get moving if we want to get there before nightfall.” Zuko stepped around Sokka, making his way for the controls. 

“All right! Team Sozu is on the move!” Sokka crowed, throwing his hand down on the map decisively. The name made something sour in Zuko’s stomach and Sokka seemed to give him a long, thoughtful look. “Team Boomerang and Firefists?”

“Please, stop,” Zuko begged, already dreading the idea of Sokka fixating on a name and pestering him with team suggestions for the entirety of their trip. He much preferred when Sokka actually focused and didn’t spend all of his energy trying to be a source of entertainment. He gestured to the soldiers that were on standby, letting them know they could release the rope that was tethering the airship, trying desperately to tune Sokka out. 

“Oh, wait! I’ve got it! We’re team Zukka!” 

—

It took Sokka two and a half hours before he finally gave up on a team name. Zuko had nearly worn him out with silence at the one hour mark, but his mouth had twitched too hard at “Hotman and Not-so-Hotman!”, which had set Sokka off all over again. Luckily, Sokka enjoyed having hot meat in his mouth more than he enjoyed spewing hot air, and it only took Sokka a half second of sniffing before he had caught on to the fact that Zuko had spent the last five minutes sizzling strips of meat threaded onto a skewer (Zuko had specifically requested imported seal jerky, but this was the best they had been able to do on such short notice). 

“Is that…. meat?” Sokka queried, stepping around the table where he had been hunched over his map and notebook, trying to come up with possible nesting locations. Zuko nodded, handing over the two most-finished skewers. Sokka made a breathy noise of near worship and practically tore into them. “Excellent choice, Zuko. Usually I am stuck eating bread and nuts when I’m in the air. It really comes in handy having a firebender at your command.” 

Zuko could feel his eyebrow shooting up before he could stop himself. He absently handed Sokka another finished skewer as he echoed, “at your command?” 

Sokka took the skewer, oblivious. “Well, you know what I mean. I didn’t command you to make me this food, but it sure is great that you did!”

“Mmmhmm,” Zuko mused, and began to eat his own skewer. He honestly hadn’t considered how he would feel if Sokka actually did try to command him around. Part of him was always so eager to please— he had spent a lot of time trying hard to prove his worth, and even though the others seemed to think Zuko had earned his place, he still knew that part of him was afraid to lose all he had worked for. Would his pride compete with his eagerness to please? Zuko couldn’t help but let his mind wander, conjuring up an image of Sokka using a stern voice to command Zuko around. Sokka’s face and voice were unclear in his mind’s eye— he couldn’t even imagine Sokka trying to boss him around, let alone what he would do. 

Snorting softly to himself at the absurdity of the idea, Zuko finished his second skewer and looked up from where was staring blankly off into the horizon. Sokka was using one of his empty skewers as a toothpick, gaze transfixed on the balloon’s lamp as if mesmerized by the fire. 

“Do you ever miss it?” Sokka mused quietly, in a voice so soft that it left a slight rasp in his voice. Zuko would never have heard the question if his right ear hadn’t been facing Sokka, and he still wasn’t sure what the question was. 

“Miss it?”

Sokka set the skewer down on the table, leaning against it and hunched down in the bolted stool that served as his seat. He didn’t seem to know how to phrase his question, starting and stopping a few times before he sat back with a groan. Large hands came up and Sokka scrubbed so aggressively at his face that a few strands of hair were knocked loose from their tight ponytail. He let his hands drop and they clapped against the table.

Zuko watched Sokka and then looked down at his hands for a moment. He could feel a small scowl pulling on his face, glancing back up at Sokka, tilting his head in confusion. Sokka locked eyes and then made a face, groaning, “don’t look at me like that!” 

“What am I looking at you like?” Zuko blurted. He felt a moment of panic surge through him, quickly schooling his features. He knew that his scar often interfered with some of his expressions due to the harshness it projected on his brow and cheek. Many misunderstandings had come from Zuko’s obliviousness to his ‘resting rage face’. The last thing he wanted was for Sokka to think that Zuko would be annoyed at having a conversation with him. Zuko took great pride in knowing that he was considered a friend that any of them could talk to, and wouldn’t have it any other way.

After a quick pause as Sokka struggled to come up with the right words, he shook his head and his hand like he was dispelling the entire conversation. “Never mind. Look, I was just thinking about back in the day when we were constantly going at it, you know? When have we ever tried hard since then to just do stuff, you know?”

“Do… stuff?” Zuko was utterly and entirely lost. It was like Sokka didn’t even know what it was that he missed, and yet it was on his mind constantly. Sokka scrubbed at his face again and looked down at the map. He let one hand drop, fingertips tracing the outline of the continents. Zuko briefly wondered how light his touch was, how little pressure it took to feel the scratch of Sokka’s fingertips. A shudder nearly overtook him and he barely stopped himself from physically shaking his head to dispel the images his mind tried to conjure of Sokka’s touch.

With a sigh, Sokka shook his head. “I guess it’s hard to explain. I’ll have to think about it some more and ask you again later. Besides, aren’t we almost there?”

As badly as Zuko wanted to press for more information, Sokka was right. The airships had only advanced over the years and it cut drastically into travel time. They were already glancing over the tops of the ruins. Zuko could see the temple in the distance, drawing closer by the moment. He reached up, pulling heat from the lamp to start their descent. 

The closer they got to the temple, the more unease Zuko began to feel. He could see movements, bodies darting between the shadows of trees and rubble. The Sun Warriors were approaching, making themselves known far sooner than Zuko had anticipated. 

“Uh, Zuko?” Sokka came up behind Zuko to stand beside him, overlooking the expanse below. “Are these buddies of yours?”

“Something like that,” Zuko said absently, though he honestly didn’t quite know the answer himself. By the time they reached the ground, there was an assembly standing between the airship and the temple. Sokka kept himself only a half step behind Zuko, his body language relaxed but his eyes sharp. Zuko could tell he was counting the number of warriors before them, seeing which of them carried weapons and possibly trying to decipher how many potential firebenders they were up against. Zuko paused before they stepped off the airship and settled his hand on Sokka’s bicep— it was much thicker in his grasp than Zuko was expecting, and he couldn’t stop himself from giving it a surprised squeeze. Sokka was startled enough by this to look away from the Sun Warriors, first to Zuko’s hand on his arm and then to Zuko himself. 

“We are not here for a fight,” Zuko said softly, and pulled away to continue approaching the men and women before them. The chief spoke before Zuko had a chance.

“We know why you are here, Fire Lord Zuko,” the man said gruffly, eyes cold and lips tight. “We forbid it.”

Zuko’s heart dropped into his gut for a moment, but he quickly composed himself. He was no longer a rash 16 year old. He took a breath, taking a moment to hold it so that it did not release a burst of steam as he exhaled. “What is it that you are forbidding, if I may ask?”

“You cannot have the hatchling.”

Zuko sucked in a sharp breath, already cursing himself for doing so. It was a dead giveaway that he had not known as much as he had let on in regards to the status of the dragons. The chief frowned all the more deeply for a moment, and Zuko felt himself losing an argument he hadn’t been prepared for. Sokka stepped up beside him suddenly, one hand resting against his back in what Zuko assumed to be a gesture of reassurance. 

“Wait just a second, guys! The Fire Lord doesn’t want any dragon babies! You’ve got him all wrong! He’s here to give the dragons his blessing! He’s the Fire Lord, right? They gave him that crazy brain wave fire bending knowledge, right?” 

The chief faltered, and that was enough to egg Sokka on as he dropped his hand from Zuko’s back and took a step forward to assert his presence. “Do you speak dragon? How do you know he’s not the baby dragon godfather? In what kind of world would we be if the Fire Lord didn’t pay his respects to the first baby dragon born under his reign?” Sokka’s arms spread wide as he gestured around himself. There was a murmur among the Sun Warriors and that was all the incentive Zuko needed.

“Please,” he implored, “I need to fix the wrongs my ancestors have done. I only want to show them friendship and kindness, I will bring no harm to the hatchlings or the masters.” Zuko felt himself kneeling before he truly thought about it, his hands pressed to his knees and his eyes tightly shut. He could feel Sokka fumble for a minute but quickly follow suit, and couldn’t help the swell of gratitude to the other man for letting Zuko take the lead. 

Silence stretched on for what seemed like an age, and Zuko nearly caught himself peeking though his eyelashes when there was a long and possibly annoyed sigh that came from the chief of the Sun Warriors.

“We shall allow you passage on your journey. We will not aid you, nor will we guide you.” 

Zuko’s head snapped up and he quickly pressed his fist against his palm, bowing again as he stood. “I thank you from the bottom of my heart,” he proclaimed solemnly.   
“Yea, me too!” Sokka stood, dusting off his pants and then shooting Zuko a smile before he marched his way past the Sun Warriors and straight into the temple. 

“Come on, Zukko! It’s baby dragon time!”


End file.
